Google has announced a major advancement in quantum computing with its new chip, Willow.

Willow has been able to achieve error correction beyond a critical threshold, addressing a longstanding barrier to practical quantum applications: the need to correct errors without introducing new ones.

Quantum computers, which operate on qubits capable of existing in multiple states simultaneously, offer transformative potential for problems beyond the reach of classical computers. 

However, their extreme sensitivity to environmental factors makes error correction essential.

Willow, Google’s latest superconducting quantum chip, successfully demonstrated error suppression below the critical threshold using the surface code approach, as detailed in a paper in Nature. 

The researchers tested the chip on 72 and 105 qubits, observing exponential suppression of logical errors as the code distance increased from three to seven. 

This reduction was achieved without compromising operational stability, even during extended tests spanning up to one million cycles.

“This exponential suppression of logical errors forms the foundation for running large-scale quantum algorithms with error correction,” said Hartmut Neven and his colleagues from Google Quantum AI.

Quantum error correction works by spreading information across multiple qubits, allowing errors to be identified and corrected without damaging computation. 

However, implementing this method has historically risked introducing more errors than it fixes. Willow’s performance demonstrates the viability of overcoming this challenge at scale.

While Google has not specified a timeline for commercial viability, the achievement signals a critical step towards real-world applications.

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